Decorative charm

ABSTRACT

A decorative charm attaches to a shoe, garment, or clothes accessory. A charm includes a base element having a bottom and a top; a hook mechanism having first and second hook elements attached to the bottom; and an attachment element formed of an elastic material. The attachment element can engage the first hook element, stretchably extend around a continuous portion of a shoe, garment, or clothes accessory, and thereafter engage the second hook element, all of which cooperatively secures the charm to the shoe, garment, or clothes accessory by firmly holding the continuous portion between the attachment element and the base element.

RELATED DOCUMENT

This disclosure is related to, incorporates by reference in itsentirety, and claims the priority benefit of Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/465,554 entitled “Shoe Charm,” filed on Mar. 21,2011 by Kathleen Kyser Van Dyne.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wearable accessories, and moreparticularly, to decorative charms for shoes, garments, and clothesaccessories.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wearable accessories can be decorative items worn on a person's body orclothes, and provide decorative utility. Clothes and shoes charms can beattached to a person's clothes or shoes in myriad ways. One way includespassing a shoe string through a continuous portion of a charm, therebysecuring the shoe charm to a shoe. Another way includes passing a rigidportion of a charm through an aperture of a shoe, also resulting in thesecuring of the shoe charm to a shoe. Yet another way includes a pin anda catch, in which the pin is used to puncture a shoe or material withthe catch being used to secure the material between the charm and thecatch.

Deficiencies in these prior solutions include the following: parts ofattachment mechanisms can break or be lost giving rise to expensiverepair or replacement thereof; attachment elements can creatediscomfort; attachment elements can damage materials; and such elementscan causing injury.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide adecorative charm.

It is another object of the invention to provide a decorative charm thatcan be worn on a person's shoe, garment, or clothes accessory.

In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention can be embodied in adecorative charm that can be attached to a shoe, garment, or clothesaccessory, and can include the following: a base element having a bottomand a top; a hook mechanism, attached to the bottom of the base element,and having a first hook element and a second hook element; and anattachment element formed of an elastic material.

The attachment element can be adapted to engage the first hook elementand then to stretchably extend around a continuous portion of a shoe,garment, or clothes accessory, and to thereafter engage the second hookelement. This arrangement can result in the attachment element securingthe charm to the shoe, garment, or clothes accessory by firmly holdingthe continuous portion between the attachment element and the baseelement.

These and other exemplary aspects of the present invention are describedherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not inlimitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top-view perspective of an exemplary charm showingthe top of a base element and an engagement element.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary charm in which a bottom side is shownhaving first and second hook elements with an engagement elementattached to one of the hook elements.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary charm in which a bottom side is shownhaving, inter alia, a hook element with a rounded terminal portion.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary charm with an engagement element securedto a continuous portion of a target via an engagement element engagedwith first and second hook elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of examplewith reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying figures. Itshould be kept in mind that the following described embodiments are onlypresented by way of example and should not be construed as limiting theinventive concept to any particular physical configuration, material, ororder not expressly stated as “necessary.”

In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention can be embodied in adecorative charm that can be attached to one of a shoe, a garment, and aclothes accessory, and can include the following: a base element, a hookmechanism, and an attachment element formed of an elastic material.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention froma top-view perspective. As visible from this top-view, an exemplarycharm can include a base element 110 and an attachment element 120. Morespecifically, the top 112 of base element 110 and a portion 122 ofattachment element 120 can be seen from this perspective, while anotherportion 124 of attachment element 120 can be behind the base element.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention froma raised, side perspective. As illustrated here, an exemplary baseportion 210 can include a bottom 214 having attached thereto a hookmechanism including a first hook element 232 and a second hook element234. Accordingly, an attachment element 220 can engage first 232 andsecond 234 hook element to secure the charm to a shoe, garment, orclothing accessory, which is more specifically illustrated in FIG. 4(infra). As also illustrated, first 232 and second 234 hook elements canoptionally be angled inwardly (i.e., towards each other) to reduce therisk of an engaged attachment element inadvertently detaching therefrom.

FIG. 3 illustrates a further exemplary aspect of the present inventionalso from a raised, side perspective, in which at least one of first 332and second 334 hook elements can rounded.

FIG. 4 provides another raised, side perspective of an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, in which an exemplary charm can besecured to a shoe, garment, or clothing accessory having a continuousportion 440. In operation, attachment element 420 can first be engagedwith one of the first 432 and second 434 hook elements. Next, attachmentelement 420 can be stretched and extended around continuous portion 440.Lastly, attachment element 420 can be engaged with the other of thefirst 432 and second 434 hook elements. As illustrated, this can resultin attachment element 420 securing the charm to a shoe, a garment, or aclothes accessory by firmly holding continuous portion 440 between theattachment element and base element 410.

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a continuousportion 440 can include any portion that is continuous, and around whichattachment element 420 would extend and contact, such as, for exampleand not in limitation, a strap, an eyelet defining portion, or a mainbody portion.

Referring back to FIG. 1, top 112 of base element 110 can be provided tobe inherently decorative. As illustrated in FIG. 1, base element 110 canbe provided with a rounded (or disk) shape. However, in an exemplaryaspect of the present invention, base element 110 can be provided in anysize and/or shape desired, such as rounded, square, rectangular, oblong,or any other symmetrical or asymmetrical shape. For example, baseelement 110 can be circular with a one-half or three-quarter inchdiameter, or a square with one-half or three-quarter inch sides.Further, base element 110 can be provided with a flat, or substantiallyflat, top and/or bottom, or slightly concave or convex shape.

In another exemplary aspect, base element 110 (and hook elements 232,234) can be formed from any desired material, such as any type ofplastic, metal, wood, or glass. In still yet another exemplary aspect, abase element 110 can be provided with one or more decorative elements,such as gems, crystals, icons, emblems, etc. on its top 112 to providedecorative utility.

Referring back to FIG. 2, it should be noted that, as illustrated, firstand second hook elements 232, 234 can be affixed to the bottom 214 ofbase element 210. However, one or both elements 232, 234 can also beformed, and therefore be integral, with base element 210. Further, likebase element 210, hook elements 232, 234 can be formed of any type ofmaterial desired, such as any type of plastic, metal, wood, or glass.Further, hook elements 232, 234 can be provided in any size, shapeand/or configuration desired insofar as such provisioning functionallyallows the secure engagement of attachment element 220 in a manner thatfixes the charm as intended. Thus, in addition to an actual hook, anyother form of structure capable of securely engaging attachment element220 can be utilized, such as a clamp, VELCRO, a snap, a button, etc.,for example and not in limitation.

In still yet a further exemplary aspect of the present invention,attachment element 220 can be elastic or inelastic. In one exemplaryembodiment, attachment element 220 can be an elastic band, such as forexample and not in limitation, rubber bands utilized in conjunction withbraces for teeth.

In another exemplary aspect of the present invention, a charm asdescribed herein may be utilized in conjunction with various types ofgarments, such as shirts, pants, dresses, etc. Further, a charm may beutilized with clothes accessories in a supplemental manner, such as witha purse, bag, belt, watch, bracelet, necklace, ear ring, etc. To makeclear, the present invention may provide decorative utility whenutilized with other items in addition to a shoe or shoes. In anotherexemplary aspect, the present may also be attached to a person's body,such as to a user's wrist, ankle, hair, ear, etc.

It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the mannerof making and using the claimed invention has been adequately disclosedin the above-written description of the exemplary embodiments andaspects. It should be understood, however, that the invention is notnecessarily limited to the specific embodiments, aspects, arrangement,and components shown and described above, but may be susceptible tonumerous variations within the scope of the invention. Moreover,particular exemplary features described herein in conjunction withspecific embodiments and/or aspects of the present invention are to beconstrued as applicable to any embodiment described within, enabledhereby, or apparent herefrom. Thus, the specification and drawings areto be regarded in a broad, illustrative, and enabling, rather than arestrictive, sense.

Further, it will be understood that the above description of theembodiments of the present invention are susceptible to variousmodifications, changes, and adaptations, and the same are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appendedclaims.

1. A decorative charm for attachment to one of a shoe, a garment, and aclothes accessory, comprising: a base element having a top and a bottom;a hook mechanism, attached to the bottom of said base element, andhaving a first hook element and a second hook element; and an attachmentelement formed of an elastic material; wherein said attachment elementis adapted to engage the first hook element, to stretchably extendaround a continuous portion of the one of a shoe, a garment, and aclothes accessory, and to thereafter engage the second hook element,such that said attachment element secures the charm to the one of ashoe, a garment, and a clothes accessory by firmly holding the portionbetween said attachment element and said base element.
 2. The charm ofclaim 1, wherein said base element includes at least one decorativeelement attached to the top so as to be visually exposed.
 3. The charmof claim 1, where at least one of the first hook element and the secondhook element is angled inwardly.
 4. The charm of claim 1, wherein atleast one of the first hook element and the second hook element isrounded.
 5. The charm of claim 1, wherein said base element has aconcave shape.